Swashbuckle
by Madeleine Mason
Summary: In this game, the stakes are higher than just being 'it'. "You think I can just get up and leave, Hyuuga?" she whispered through her tears. "Well, I can't. I'm stuck here and terrified that one day, I won't be able to breath anymore--it's torturing me."
1. The Beginning

**Swashbuckle**

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Written by: _Madeleine Mason _

Disclaimer: _I do not own Gakuen Alice_

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– _Chapter I –_

_The Beginning_

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"I can't believe they're actually opening one!" a blonde girl whispered elatedly to her friend. "I mean, this is the first the academy's ever had, isn't it?"

Her friend, a dark-haired girl with a rather pointed face, giggled. "I know, isn't it so exciting? I can't wait to get in!"

Mikan Sakura narrowed her eyes at the two whispering girls seated a few tables away from her. This was a _library_, for goodness sake! She grit her teeth in annoyance, trying to tune out their voices desperately. She glanced hopefully at the librarian, an old woman with a large, crooked nose and glass spectacles, sitting behind an oak desk at the front. She didn't seem to hear those two giggling bimbos, though. Mikan sighed unhappily. She had an assignment to finish! An assignment from _Jinno_, the terror teacher himself. Wasn't that punishment enough?

Mikan flipped a page in her math exercise book and gnawed at her pencil as she read the same equation over and over. She couldn't get it. Not at all. She sighed once more and laid her head on the table. School's been a major stress inducer in the past few weeks—one more essay to write, one more equation to solve and she just thought she might blow up. The Dynamic Duo a few seats from her didn't do anything to help at all.

At this particular moment, the librarian looked up from the tome she was reading (Mikan swore she was actually reading one of those sappy romance novels behind that huge thing) and shot a suspicious look at the two girls. Their ears turned an unmistakable shade of red as they stopped talking. Mikan felt a triumphant smile make its way onto her face, reaching the corners of her eyes. After casting another skeptical look at the two, the librarian turned back to her book and the two girls sighed in relief. A few moments of wonderful silence greeted Mikan's thankful ears until:

"Oh, I don't know. I mean, everyone's going to want to go too, won't they? I wouldn't like to be stuck in line for how many hours. . ."

And there they go again.

Mikan always considered herself to be in the know of most of the going-ons in Alice Academy. Sure, she wasn't gossip-hungry like Sumire—_cough, Permy, cough_—but she knew what she needed to know. For instance, when Tsubasa Andou, a pleasant upperclassman Mikan was friendly with, finally had the guts to ask out long-time best friend Misaki Harada; Mikan knew before he had actually popped the question (the matter of Tsubasa asking his favorite underclassman for some pointers and that little detail that both Misaki and Tsubasa were in the Special Ability class with her didn't have anything to do with it. . . partly).

But _damn_ did she find all this whispering annoying!

"It's going to be such fun! Oh, I hope I'll be able to make it. You know my mum never approved of those kinds of places. All noisy and crowded and whatnot. . . you would think that she'd gotten that stick out of her bum already. . ."

Her patience wearing thin, Mikan forcefully shut her book and stuffed it into her bag. She glared at the two girls who looked positively scandalized and, with her nose in the air, swept out of the library. She, however, _did_ notice the offended look in the librarian's eyes before the heavy doors shut closed.

"Honestly! Young people these days!" Madam Lemur, the librarian, murmured to herself indignantly as she stared disapprovingly at the place where Mikan had just stood, before turning back to her book. "And just when Luke was about to propose to Joanna, too!"

--

The hall was noisy and crowded with students as Mikan made her way down to the dining hall, her shoes clicking smartly on the polished marble floor. Her eyebrows creased slightly as she caught some fragments of conversation the other students were talking about, all of which seemed to be related to one another.

"—can't wait! Wonder if Rob will take me there if I ask him to—"

"—saved a lot of rabbits for this—"

"Oh, come on! Go with me, will you?"

"What if I get lost? There'll be a lot of people there."

"Those blasted fast ones! They make me throw up."

"Ew. That's just sick."

Mikan fiddled with the strap of her bag before deliberately ignoring all these comments. She wasn't curious at all; someone was bound to tell her about all this hubbub some time or another. She couldn't possibly bother herself with this—she had too much work to finish! Speaking of which, that rather nasty assignment Jinno delegated wouldn't write itself, however much she wanted it to. Mikan tugged the adjusting strap on her bag with a little bit more force than necessary at this and scowled. _Stupid_ _Jinno should just take that assignment and shove it up his—_

"I just can't _wait_!" a beaming girl with her hair tied in two long braids gushed, her cheeks bright and rosy as she clutched a flyer to her chest. She was speaking with her friend, another girl with slightly bushy black hair who nodded energetically at her.

Mikan knew she shouldn't have been so concerned about what the gossip was all about—goodness knows what Jinno would do if she didn't finish her assignment on time!—but she really couldn't help herself. After all, she was a very curious child. Besides, it wouldn't hurt for her to just know what they were talking about, would it? And that settled it. Mikan strode up to the girl and tapped her on the shoulder.

"Excuse me," said Mikan politely, "Do you mind telling me what everyone's going on about?" The girl glanced at her for a moment before raising an eyebrow skeptically.

"You mean, you don't know?" she asked disbelievingly, staring at her with wide eyes, like a deer's caught in headlights. Mikan decided she didn't like this girl much. The girl picked at an invisible piece of lint on her clothes before handing her the colorful flyer. "Keep it. I've read it five times already, anyway." With a curt nod of her head, she walked away. Mikan bit her lip and stared at the flashy, colorful flyer.

**COME ONE, COME ALL!**

_Come one, come all to the newly opened Alice Theme Park! Located in the middle of Central Town, students of all ages may come and have a douse of what fun really means. The grand opening of the theme park will be on August 15 at 3:00 sharp._

_Try our newest rides, buy food and drink from stands near you, and watch entertainers and performers to your utmost satisfaction! Everything from ferris wheels and roller coasters to merry-go-rounds and other rides are available for everyone to experience and enjoy. _

_Alice-enhanced rides and games are sure to entertain students and teachers alike at the Alice Theme Park, including our newest attraction, the Dream Capsule. If you would like to know what the Dream Capsule can do, come over to the Alice Theme Park and find out for yourself! We assure you, it will be very worth the while._

All in all, the flyer looked very inviting. Mikan blinked bemusedly. A theme park? They were going to have a _theme park_, of all things? Without another thought, she immediately rushed down the stairs as fast as she could to her best friend's dorm and knocked on the door rapidly with her knuckle. Had Hotaru known of this? she wondered. And then she reprimanded herself sternly, remembering that this was Hotaru she was talking about. After all, Hotaru knew a lot of things, but just didn't feel like telling them to her.

'_Right_.' A voice in the back of her head snorted. Mikan wrinkled her nose.

'_And what is that supposed to mean?'_ she thought indignantly. '_I'll have you know that my Hotaru doesn't tell me everything she knows only to help me learn for myself!'_

'_Riiight'_, replied the voice mockingly. '_I'm sure she does that only because she loves you and it's for your own good_.'

'_. . .Since when have you become so sarcastic?'_ Mikan thought skeptically.

'_Since you started sucking your thumb. . . wait, you haven't stopped yet, have you?'_

'_I do not suck my thumb, you silly goose!' _Mikan retorted angrily_. _

'_And since when have _you_ become so cheeky?'_

'_Since I met you. It's only survival instinct.' _

'_Ooh, touché.' _

After a few minutes, an annoyed looking girl with short, neatly-combed black hair and purple eyes opened the door; judging by her white lab coat and goggles perched atop her head, she was in the middle of another invention. Hotaru Imai was a well-known inventor in the academy; buyers from all around the world came to request of her services, though those services did not come cheap.

Mikan beamed. "Hotaru!" she cried, throwing herself at her best friend. Hotaru immediately knew what was coming, and pulled out a small gun with a boxing glove attached to it. She shot it at Mikan relentlessly, the poor brunette glaring at her as she rubbed her aching head.

"What was that for?" she said accusingly. "I was _just_ trying to give my _best friend_ a hug!" Hotaru blew off steam from her handy gun and glowered at Mikan.

"What do you want?" Hotaru tucked her gun safely away in the pocket of her lab coat and crossed her arms over her chest. "If this is about Piyo eating all your Howalon, so help me, I will—" Mikan shook her head.

"No, it's not. But yes, now that you mention it, that giant chick _has_ been eating my delicious Howalon for far too long! I swear I'll do something about that soon. . . But, no, that's not what I came to talk to you about."

Hotaru looked distinctly ruffled at having been cut off, but raised an eyebrow and gave her a scrutinizing look. "Then get on with it, I don't have all day."

"Aren't you going to let me in?" asked Mikan hopefully, jerking her head at the door. A steely glint appeared in Hotaru's eyes.

"Don't push it."

Mikan pouted and sighed. "Fine. Anyway, d'you know about this—" She looked at the flyer again. "—new theme park in Central Town?" Hotaru's eyes narrowed.

"Is that all you came to ask me about? A stupid theme park?" she asked threateningly. Mikan laughed nervously, scratching her head.

"Ah, well. . . I just wanted to see if you. . .er. . . knew a-about it. . ." Hotaru scowled at her disdainfully and lowered her goggles over her eyes.

"Yes, I do know about it, you idiot. I made half of the rides in there, after all." Hotaru rolled her eyes at Mikan's admiring expression. "Now, if you will excuse me, I'll be getting back to my invention which you so _kindly_ interrupted." And without another word, the door slammed shut in Mikan's face. The brunette tugged on her pigtails for a minute and stared blankly at the door before she realized that their conversation was over.

She sighed, making her way down the staircase and into the dining hall. Four long tables stretched from one side to the other, leaving enough room for the many Alice-wielders to sit. She headed to her own triple star table and ate her lunch, all the while thinking of the Alice Theme Park. Now at the age of sixteen, Mikan has already reached the triple star level and is treated fairly well by her fellow peers and classmates, though Jinno's attitude towards her did not heed in the slightest. And the notion of not being able to graduate from high school without at least a triple star ranking was vital to it as well.

Mikan ate her mashed potatoes and meatloaf quietly, her mind bursting with excitement at the theme park being opened at Central Town. Mikan had never been to a theme park before—she had lived a quiet country life back with her dear grandpa in a small-town school before she had transferred to the academy. She grinned gleefully at the thought of experiencing what a theme park was like first-hand and almost spilt her glass of water. Ferris wheels, roller coasters, carousels, candy and sweets! Mikan couldn't wait till the fifteenth of August.

--

Before she knew it, an uneventful week had passed, until it was at last August the fifteenth. The weather seemed to be on Mikan's side today it seemed, as she got up from bed that morning to draw her curtains and stare out the window. The skies were a cloudless blue, a healthy breeze sweeping by now and then—all in all, the signs were good. Mikan sighed blissfully; days like these were hard to come by. The bonus was that the theme park would be opening today, as well. Mikan's face brightened visibly and she went to the bathroom for a quick shower.

Fifteen minutes later, she came out clean and fresh with a towel wrapped around her hair. She changed into a bright yellow sundress and combed her long brown hair in front of her mirror. It was a Saturday and she was glad she had some free time to herself. Tying her hair up in two long pigtails, she smiled at herself in the mirror. "Okay! I'm set!" Strangely, Mikan had a habit of speaking to herself.

After a last look at her clean dormitory, she exited the room and walked down to get some breakfast. The dining hall looked more alive that morning; she supposed it had something to do with the theme park opening today. Boy, was she right.

"Mikan! Over here!" a voice called. She turned to see most of her friends seated together at one table, waving at her to come join them. She threw them a warm smile and headed towards their table.

"Hey," said Nonoko, a blue-haired girl with bright blue eyes. "Morning, sunshine—"

"—the Earth says hello!" finished Anna, a girl with curly bubblegum pink hair, grinning up at her from the large newspaper she was shielded behind. "I can't believe that new theme park's opening today! See here, it's on the academy newspaper." Mikan plopped down on the seat next to her and grinned.

"A good morning to you too, Anna Banana," she said, grabbing the yellow fruit from a nearby basket and waving it in her face. Anna made a face and swatted it away with her hand.

"I prefer apples, thank you very much," retorted Anna, huffing indignantly. Misaki, an upperclassman with salmon pink hair, wrinkled her nose.

"Stop with the sexual innuendos, please," she said disgustedly. Mikan laughed.

"Wouldn't it be you, Misaki darling, going on about sexual innuendos? I swear, some fruit these days are _so_ overrated." Mikan unpeeled her banana and took a bite. "Perfectly all right. I'm not getting all horny, as you can see."

Nonoko rolled her eyes. "Can we stop talking about 'getting horny' and 'sexual innuendos' at breakfast, please? Save me the stomach."

"Yes, mum." Mikan laughed. Nonoko rolled her eyes once more and speared a sausage with her fork. The sausage was mid-way to her mouth when two manicured palms slammed onto the table forcefully and a frustrated scream filled the air.

"Can you believe it? Can you _believe_ it!? Jinno gave me an F! A bloody F!" Sumire Shouda (i.e. Permy) emitted another blood-curdling shriek and dramatically sat down. "I swear, the day when that man gets that stick out of his ass is the day I lose that adorable bag from Juicy Couture." Misaki raised a delicate eyebrow.

"_Right_. Anyway, you all wanna go to that theme park together?" she asked encouragingly, glancing at each face one at a time to perceive their reactions. Mikan nodded positively, and Anna and Nonoko squealed. Permy flipped her hair over her shoulder.

Let's take a little breather shall we? Perhaps a little introduction to the newest characters appearing in the story would be sufficient.

First, the wonder twins, Anna Umenomiya and Nonoko Ogasawara. They weren't really related, no, but they certainly could have been. Those two girls were best friends and did everything together. They looked and were completely different—actually, their similarities ended after 'feels like twins, but don't look alike, think alike, etc.' but one couldn't help but think they were related any way. Nonoko had long, straight metallic blue hair, while Anna's was curly and sugary pink. Nonoko was always the more practical and sensible of the two, while Anna was quiet, shy, a cry-baby, and tended to get her head stuck in the clouds.

Sumire Shouda, on the other hand, was a different case altogether. She was bossy, rude at times, determined, sassy, and lived to gossip. Known as 'Permy' by her friends because of her curled forest green hair, she was fierce and would not back down no matter what. She was a bit rash in making decisions and choosing boyfriends, but she had her heart in the right place. . . most of the time.

Misaki Harada, there was nothing much to say about her. She was headstrong, had a short temper, and was currently dating Tsubasa Andou, her best friend. Even when they were dating, their relationship in terms of how they acted around each other didn't change very much; she still hit him when he annoyed her and didn't have a guilty conscience whatsoever. And now, back to the story.

"Yeah, we should all go together! I'll go ask Hotaru!" chirped Mikan. Permy shook her head disbelievingly.

"What kind of best friend are you? Imai isn't going to join us, at least, for the first part of the trip." Sumire took a sip of her freshly brewed coffee and quirked an eyebrow at her.

"What do you mean?" asked Mikan, puzzled.

"I mean," Sumire said, drumming her fingers on the table impatiently, "she's the one getting us the free tickets, duh!" Mikan's mouth formed into a small 'oh' and she blinked a few times.

"What's up, ladies!" They looked up to see one Kokoro Yome grinning at them as he sat down beside Mikan and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. Mikan rolled her eyes and shrugged it off. Koko smirked. "The Man has finally arrived and graced you with his presence." Sumire snorted.

"The Man being _you_? I don't think so," she said, flipping her hair over her shoulder again. She shot him a nasty look. Koko grinned at her smugly.

Kokoro Yome was the academy's prankster, the joker, the one made all the smart-aleck comments that just so happened to be funny. He was also the childhood best friend of one Sumire Shouda. He calls her Permy too, sometimes Perms or Permster. Said girl hates both. He also knew exactly how to make her tick, and did not stop doing it.

"Everyone knows that men are more superior than women." He crossed his arms over his chest as all the girls glared at him. "What?" Mikan stuck her tongue out at him, rather maturely, Misaki thought.

"The lady is always more famous than the man," Mikan said, "Look at Princess Diana. Nobody cares about Charles!"

--

"How did we end up stuck with you guys again?" asked Misaki dryly as she looked at the large group gathered near the entrance of the theme park. "If I remember correctly, only Anna, Nonoko, Mikan, Perms and I were going together." Indeed, she hadn't expected additional people in their small group. And a strange crowd of people as well: Kokoro Yome, Tsubasa Andou, Natsume Hyuuga (Sumire had not been so keen on rejecting this guy from their little trip), Ruka Nogi (nor this guy either), Yuu Tobita, Kitsunume, and, surprisingly, Hayate Matsudaira. Mikan restrained a giggle; she figured Hotaru wouldn't be too happy with the turn of events.

She glanced around and noticed several things at once: one, the place was crowded, two, Natsume was giving her the 'bad sign', three, Misaki had gum stuck onto the bottom of her shoe, four, Hotaru was heading towards them, five—wait! Back it up, back it up! Was that Hotaru just now?

"Hey idiots." Yes, that was definitely Hotaru. The stoic inventor approached them and upon seeing Hayate, her hand rested firmly on the hilt of the gun in her pocket. Mikan laughed nervously.

"Hey, Hotaru! Well, we've just got some, er. . . extra people?" Mikan smiled hopefully at her and swung her arms side to side. Hotaru looked at them all and smirked.

"Free tickets, a thousand rabbits." Her eyes glinted. "Each." Mikan's jaw dropped and she stuttered helplessly.

"A th-th-thousand?" she said breathlessly, slapping her palm onto her forehead in shock. She looked up at Hotaru. "Even me?" Hotaru rolled her eyes.

"No, you idiot." Mikan beamed. "You get a discount for being my guinea pig most of the time. Three percent." Hotaru glared at them all. "Cough up the cash." Mikan groaned. Sometimes Hotaru could get a little bit too. . . money oriented. The tiny voice at the back of her head snorted again.

"This is shit. I'm outta here." Natsume strode off in the other direction, hands in his pockets as Ruka faithfully followed. Hotaru's eyes narrowed.

"Oh, no you don't, Hyuuga," she said mischievously, pulling out a strange remote shaped like a lion with a large antenna popping out of the top. She pressed the large red button in the middle of it. Immediately, a long rope sprung out of it and tied itself tightly around Natsume and Ruka, pulling them back towards the group.

"What the hell?!" said Natsume furiously, as he tried burning the ropes off. Hotaru smirked.

"That's fire-resistant Hyuuga. Not to mention alice-resistant." Hotaru smiled deviously. "Now, you won't try and run off again, won't you?" Hayate clasped his hands together and stared admiringly at the raven haired lass.

"Oh, Cool Blue Sky. . . you're so amazing. . ." He crept closer to her as Hotaru, without looking, shot at him with her baka gun. Mikan and the rest watched in awed silence.

Mikan had known Natsume for the last several years—he had a fiery temper and an even more ferocious alice. Fire seemed to fit his caliber very well, actually, thought Mikan as she watched Natsume struggle to free himself and Ruka from the tight ropes which seemed to coil itself around them like a snake the more they moved about. She had never been too fond of him, come to think of it. They had never had a decent conversation she remembered that did not involve a single insult, always fired first by the raven-haired boy. But, she didn't mind so much after all the years they had spent together. After all, Natsume couldn't help who he was, could he? And, thought Mikan wryly with a slight chuckle, he wouldn't really be Natsume anymore without his rude persona.

Ruka Nogi, on the other hand, was quite a different matter. He was the polar opposite of his best friend—polite, gentle, an animal-lover, and unfortunately, seemed to be the victim of Hotaru's ever-present picture-taking. He was all in all the 'Prince Charming' one so often dreams about, with his blond hair and bright cerulean eyes. Everyone seemed to love him—humans and animals alike. Animals more so, however. He was in the possession of the Animal Pheromone alice and Mikan thought his alice suited him perfectly.

Natsume finally stopped struggling and Hotaru dragged the two with them to the ticket booth, cutting past a long queue. "Oi!" she said, waiting for someone to let them in.

"A minute, a minute!" said a voice sullenly from inside the tiny cubicle. A small crash was heard after a minute or so, a string of curses following after. "Damn box. . . what do you wa—_ooh_." A tall, gangly redhead with a bad case of acne popped up from behind the glass and smiled dashingly at Hotaru. "How may I assist you, madam?" Hotaru cringed and glared at him.

"Tickets." She looked over her shoulder at the group calculatingly and turned back. The porter was smoothing his hair that never seemed to lie flat and shot her another charming smile. "14, VIP." The redhead smiled at her once more and nodded before pressing a few keys on the cashier. The cashier gave a small 'ting' before fourteen bright red tickets popped out of the small box to the side of the cashier.

"That'll be 7,000 rabbits, miss." The porter lifted an imaginary hat in salute to her and beamed as he thrust his open-faced palm in her face. Hotaru's eyes narrowed darkly and she clicked her tongue.

"You idiot," she said, enjoying the scared look on the porter's face as he gulped. "Do you know who I am? No?" She smirked. "Hotaru Imai." This named seemed to do a number for the poor man as he stuttered and quickly slid over the tickets without looking at her.

Mikan shuddered. Note to self: never ask money from Hotaru Imai. She knew her best friend was an influential person, but she never knew it was this bad. Either way, she felt strangely proud and slightly creeped out by her at the same time.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Thousand each." Hotaru crossed her arms over her chest and demanded the money. Mikan sighed and gave up a thousand rabbits, as did everyone else. After another audible sigh, Mikan followed the rest of the group through large bronze gates with the letters 'ATP' in giant gold letters fixed on the bars.

They passed through in silence, and Mikan gasped in awe and surprise as they entered the theme park. Rides of all kinds, both unknown and known, were displayed a distance away, with many little stalls and booths handling games and selling goods. Vendors sold balloons and cotton candy; mimes, well, mimed; children laughed and played. The place was colorful and loud, carnival music streaming from invisible speakers situated in various places. People strolled and browsed, screams of joy echoing from the fast, thrilling rides rang through the park joyously. Mikan never knew a place more. . . more. . .

"Bloody hell!" said Koko, his eyes as wide as saucers. After another moment of silence, the fun began. Koko, Kitsunume, and some of the other rowdy people (Mikan included) ran around the place, 'oohing' and 'ahhing' at various things—a stall selling perfume-spraying octopus toys, a sort of glowing electroball, a ride called the 'Bat Hunter' wherein swarms of bats flew in and out of, and a man doing back flips in front of an applauding audience.

"Okay!" shouted Misaki, trying to call attention to herself. "We'll meet back here in an hour, then we'll all go someplace to eat." They all nodded and hurried off to explore. Mikan stayed with Hotaru, Natsume, Ruka, Sumire, Koko, and Hayate (to Hotaru's dismay).

They wandered the park aimlessly for a while, buying some food now and then when they got hungry. Mikan tried a few rides: the 'Galaxy Spinner', a rotating vehicle that nearly made her throw up her hotdog, went inside the Fairytale Castle (Hotaru snapped a picture of Mikan's face as Cinderella and forced Natsume into being the prince), and ate some more. However, one thing really caught their attention.

A long line outside a trench with a sign marking 'The Dream Capsule' stood nearby. Mikan wondered what it was, and pointed at it. "What's that?" she asked, and they decided to try it out for themselves, due to their curiosity.

After cutting the line (Hotaru's doing), the whole group marched through the trench, which was blinking with multicolored lights. They proceeded to a large, mammoth-sized auditorium with millions of colorful egg-shaped contraptions. They group separated and each chose an egg for themselves. Mikan chose a pretty orange one, while Natsume, _coincidentally_, chose a red one beside her.

Strange, she thought, but pretty. She pulled open a small side drawer to her right and out popped a brown leather book and a futuristic pair of glasses that looked similar to the visor that Cyclops from X-Men wore. Mikan picked up the visor and stared at it's cool metal body and red glass in front. Then, she picked up the book and leafed through it.

_Welcome to the Dream Capsule, a game in which players are inserted into a virtual world they have never before experience. Simply step into the game pod and you will be thrown into a real life scenario of magical and thrilling proportions. _

Someone snorted to her right. Mikan turned to see a sneer painted right across one Natsume Hyuuga's face. He glanced at her and his smirk grew wider.

"Stupid game." Mikan's face darkened and she shot him a well-deserved glare.

"And what, may I ask, is so stupid about it?" she snapped, her brown eyes narrowing. She really didn't know what his problem was. Why was he always so. . . mean? Natsume leaned back casually into his egg as if he did it everyday and raised an eyebrow at her conspicuously.

"Well, for one, if it's got you defending it, then it must be stupid and a waste of my time," he retorted smoothly. Mikan huffed and groaned in frustration. Sometimes, Natsume was far too much trouble than he was worth. Said boy enjoyed Mikan's expression so much he decided to continue, but before he could say anything, Mikan flipped through the book a few more times.

A large map of what she presumed to be the game world was spread onto two pages. Names of countries she had never known of appeared on the papers. Glenrock, Wingardia, Shayspair, Aledor, and more. Her heart thumped erratically against her chest and she turned another page. This time, a character list was displayed onto the paper.

**Character Forms**

• _Noble_

_- King_

_- Queen_

_- Soldier_

_- High Priest_

_- Members of the Jury, Law, Court_

_- Royal Advisers_

_- Nobleman/Noblewoman _

_- Ladies of the Court _

• _Pirate_

_- Pirate Captain_

_- Quarter Master_

_- Sailing Master_

_- Boatswain_

_- Carpenter_

_- Surgeon_

_- Master Gunner_

_- Mate (first mate, second mate, etc.)_

_- A.B.S. (able bodied sailor)_

_- Rigger_

_- Cabin Boy_

_- Swab/Swabbie_

• _Peasant_

_- Platinum (rich, but not a noble)_

_- Gold (well to do)_

_- Silver (normal)_

_- Bronze (poor)_

_- None (poorest of the poor)_

And finally, she came to the warnings and guidelines.

**Warning/Guidelines:**

_This game is not real, but feels every bit like it is. If you're injured, it will hurt, if you die, then you're dead (dead meaning being sent back to the real world). _

_Players get five lives. Each time you use up one of those lives, you are sent back to the real world temporarily and get to decide if you want to continue playing or not. If yes, then you are reassigned to another character form. For example, if you are a pirate captured by a noble, you may not end up as a pirate in your next life. Once all five lives are used, you are not able to continue playing. _

_The benefactors and creators of this game watch what is going on in the game through a collection of screens which show how the progress of the game is doing._

_Players start at the capital of Erosis, Glenrock. The first step is to stop by the City Hall, where they go to register and receive player support. It's where they register their names and types of employment, or, in the case of a pirate, what ship they work in._

_Players cannot choose what character form they will take. A special compass stationed at every City Hall tells what form they will obtain from what the players themselves are like personality-wise. This is only needed at the start of the game. However, when players lose their first life and choose to go back to the game, their character form is decided randomly. _

_Not all people in the game are actual characters portrayed by someone playing the game. Others, like the informants stationed at the City Hall, are extras put in the game to make it more realistic. _

_The City Hall is neutral ground; extras there will not side with the pirates nor the nobles alike. _

_Alices are rendered useless in the game; one must learn how to fend for oneself without the aid of their alice._

_A guidebook is handed to each player once they enter the game, to help them know more about the country they are in and about the both important players and extras. Additional information are put into the handbook at any time, so it would be wise to check it every once in a while for new data. _

_Please take note: time that flows in the game is different in the real world. For example, one week in the game may only be one day in the real world._

Mikan's excitement grew and grew, until it was almost like a bubble waiting to burst. She had ignored Natsume, who was also reading the book, and made herself remember all these things inside. She supposed this was the guidebook that was mentioned in it, but she needed to learn all she could before she played the game.

Natsume watched her from the corner of his eye, smirking yet again. "Bet you'll be a peasant, rank zero," he said stoically. Mikan flinched. Peasant? _Peasant_? Really, was she so low as to sink to that? Sometimes, Natsume was just too much.

Nonetheless, she made herself retort back as smoothly as she could under the circumstances. "And you'll be the cabin boy on a pirate ship, won't you? How bloody _wonderful_." Natsume got to hand it to her, her skills at the art of backfiring had gradually improved. He snorted and ignored her wordlessly. Mikan made a face at him and flipped through more of the pages of the book. A loud female voice rang clear through speakers situated on pillars on either side of the room.

"Keep your arms and legs inside the game portal at all times, I repeat, keep your arms and legs inside the game portal at all times. Players, you may now put on your visors. The game starts in five. . . four. . . three. . ."

Mikan hastily put on the visor; her vision was immediately blackened. She couldn't see anything at all. She still heard the female voice, though.

"Two. . . one. Game start."

It was hard to tell what had happened next. Mikan had suddenly felt a firm tug somewhere in her stomach, and her eyes were blurred by a flurry of different colors. Not a sound was heard, yet she had a feeling she was screaming. She was thrown into a sort of dimension where speeding colors swept past like bullets, and she felt the blistering wind make her hair fly into her face, into her eyes. She tried to feel herself, to make sure she was still in one piece, but she found that she couldn't move a single part of her body. She was immobilized.

Was everyone experiencing the same thing too? Were they hurdling through a colorful oblivion and screaming their lungs out, yet they couldn't hear it? Mikan wasn't sure. This was a part of the game, wasn't it? At least she thought so. But, just as suddenly as it had started, it stopped. After a bright white flash of light, everything stopped.

She landed on firm, hard ground (butt first) and squealed out in pain. She'd never been so relieved to hear her own voice radiate in the familiar tones she'd lived with all her life. It was like the DVD that she was watching had suddenly been muted and then the volume had been suddenly turned up again, out of the blue.

Mikan rolled over on her side, rubbing soothing circles in her stomach. _Get up_, she told herself. _Get up, you sniveling pansy!_ Tentatively, she got to her feet, stumbling a little and raised her eyes to look at her new surroundings.

"What the bloody _hell_."

* * *

_I can't tell you how long I've wanted to write about something like this. I personally love genres that feature both romance and adventure. How cool is that? For me, this chapter was a bit lengthier than what I would have originally done. I don't like using Japanese honorifics in my stories, so don't expect Mikan to go all 'Natsume-kun!' every time she sees him. This is written in English, and so it will be. I think I got a little bit too caught up in all the British exclamations, though. That's what I get for reading Harry Potter too late at night... _

_This is my first story using this account, so please, no flaming. I hate flamers who just criticize other people's works without leaving a good reason why they flamed it and how they could improve. I mean, what's the point in doing that if not to help the writer get better? Well, enough of my ranting. _

_Do me a favor and review please. _

—_Maddie_


	2. Into the Game

**Swashbuckle**

—

Written by: _Madeleine Mason_

Disclaimer: _I do not own Gakuen Alice_.

—

–_ Chapter II _–

_Into the Game_

-

-

-

_This was definitely not Central Town_, Mikan thought as she gazed at the open area in wonder. She didn't even think she was in Japan anymore. This place was different, she could feel it. The weather and climate was different, the people (she assumed they were 'extras') were different, and she basically thought she was in another world. _That is true_,_ actually_, she thought to herself comprehendingly.

Mikan reminded herself that this wasn't real, no matter how damn _real_ it seemed. The people weren't real, the entire country wasn't real. This was just a game. _That's right_, she thought reassuringly, _a game_.

She had landed on a cobble street lined with flat grey stones, worn out by time and the sun. Mikan stared at it for a moment and appreciated the detailed graphics the game creator had designed. Looking up, she breathed in the fresh air that smelled strongly of salt water and fish. It was noisy and crowded with people who didn't seem to take her sudden appearance as surprising. They moved along as if they hadn't seen her, probably busy with their own lives (_They don't have lives_, she reminded herself) to care.

She dusted some grime and dirt off her sundress and checked to see whether she still had her guidebook. She found it tucked firmly inside her dress pocket. _How funny_, she thought bemusedly. _I don't remember putting it in there_... Shrugging it off for the while, she flipped through it to see what she was supposed to do now. There was now a new page in the book, and it came first before all the others. As soon as she had turned to the blank page, words flashed onto it.

**TO DO LIST**

_1. Visit City Hall_

City Hall, huh? She grinned and bounced on the balls of her feet, already excited for this new task. She'd always been proved to be a defenseless little girl that couldn't take care of herself and got into too much trouble without being able to get herself out of it. Natsume had made certain that she knew this. But no, not today! Mikan Sakura is _not_ a defenseless little weakling! Mikan set her teeth and pumped an energetic first in the air, before being promptly pummeled to the ground again.

"What the—" Mikan lay disheveled on the cold ground, with something heavy on top of her. She cringed and lay still for a moment, before throwing it off of her and onto the sidewalk. This time, however, her little scene had caused some of the townsfolk to stare. Her cheeks flushed a bright red at the whispering and disapproving stares she was getting and jumped to her feet.

A huge brown lump on the ground curled around itself and emitted a strange moan-like sound. "Damn. . ." Mikan frowned and picked up a stick on the ground. She poked it. The lump moaned again. She poked it again. The lump wiggled a little and growled. Mikan jabbed it hard in the back.

"Okay, okay, you can stop now!"

"Koko?"

Kokoro Yome ruffled his brown hair and (his goofy smile still intact) threw her a glare. Mikan gulped, half scared and half amused (how could he glare at her so dangerously while that smile was on his face?) and laughed nervously.

"Oh, it's you! What a coincidence!" She smiled at him and held out her hand. "Did we all end up here too?" He took it and pulled himself up, dusting his clothes. He sighed and shook his head.

"No," he said. "We all got dumped at different areas, I guess. But it won't really matter since we're going to the same place." He shrugged. Mikan sighed.

"We better get going then." She pulled out her handbook from her pocket and checked the map; currently, she saw from a sign nearby, she was at Glenrock Dock, a place where all the boats and ships were docked and fishermen, well, caught fish. She wrinkled her nose at the scent of a pile of fish a man was unloading from his boat and tugged on Koko's hand.

"C'mon, before I get traumatized and never eat sushi again," she said disgustedly, shivering slightly as she pulled him away from the dock and into the crowded streets of Glenrock city.

Mikan felt like a squished sardine. People kept pushing into her and yelling rude things like 'Watch it, riffraff!' and to tell the truth, she was a bit hurt. Her hand latched onto Koko's was hard to hold on to as well. Every time she passed through a particularly dense throng, she felt his hand slip a little bit and it scared her to no end that she would be stranded here in this strange world all by herself, even if it was just a game.

"Hurry up, will you!" she called, running through the streets now, avoiding and ducking obstacles and people in her way. Koko, on the other hand, wasn't as evasive. He crashed into passerby and mumbled apologies to angry townspeople, all the while trying desperately to hold onto Mikan's hand that threatened to slip off and never be held again.

Mikan didn't know how many streets or houses they had passed, nor did she have any idea where to look for the Town Hall. She stopped at a nice clear area on one block of the street and opened her map. She stared at it in confusion; it looked like a bunch squiggly lines to her. Koko had come to a halt beside her, breathing in and out like he had just run a marathon.

"That was certainly. . . invigorating. . ." he mumbled to himself as he stopped to catch his breath. Mikan didn't look at him, staring with a crease in her forehead at the map.

"Where's the City Hall?" she asked, more to herself than to Koko. Koko shrugged and looked over her shoulder at the map.

"_Riiight_. . ." he said, squinting as he tried to read the small print, "There." He pointed at the center of the map, which was labeled 'Glenrock City Hall' in fine print. Mikan looked rather troubled.

"Well, we know where we're supposed to go, but where are _we_ exactly?" she said anxiously. This place was not familiar to her and it was easy to get lost, which was the last thing Mikan wanted to be. Koko frowned at the map and after a few more seconds looked up. His smile seemed to grow wider.

"Mikan—" he said, tapping her on the shoulder. She did not pay attention to him, calculating to herself about their whereabouts.

"We just passed the dock, didn't we? It's right over there, pretty close to the city hall. That means. . . if we turn a left there. . . that street. . . Oh, Good Lord, we're right in front of it!" Mikan nearly snapped the bone in her neck as she looked up from the map quickly. And indeed, in front of them was the Glenrock City Hall.

The city hall practically gleamed from head to toe. It looked very erect and professional and a bit stand-offish to boot. Polished marble posts stood on either side of the entrance and neat people wearing fancy clothes bustled in and out of it. Mikan gulped, suddenly nervous and wanting to back out of the game.

"You coming?" Koko's voice rang out in her mind like a clear bell, warning her of the time and place. It was too late to back out now, she had chosen to play and there was no other option than letting herself be killed, and she wasn't going this far to die so quickly.

She nodded briefly and the two walked into the city hall, looking very out of place in their dirty jeans, shirt, (and in Mikan's case) dress. They passed many people who looked like they just stepped out of an eighteenth century England painting; men with top hats and coats, women wearing long gowns, ruffled petticoats, and big hats with feathers and flowers in them. Mikan gazed at them openmouthed before Koko teased that a fly would shoot straight into her mouth if she left it open like that. Begrudgingly closing her jaw and shooting him a glare, they proceeded through a large open doorway leading to a room where dozens of chairs were set up. At the front of the room were people sitting behind tiny cubicles as they talked to their customers who remained on the other side while other customers waited on the chairs for their turn. Mikan and Koko took seats near the front of the third cubicle and waited in deadpanned silence.

The wait was a long one. Mikan didn't know how much time had lapsed in both the real world and in the game. She didn't have a watch and settled for counting the turquoise ceiling tiles one by one. When she finally counted them all, she started again from the beginning and only when she was counting her thirty-third tile in her fourth round, she heard a cry of, "Mikan, Koko!"

Ruka, Hayate, and Sumire were walking towards them hurriedly, looking very relieved to see them. Mikan released a sigh that she hadn't known she'd been keeping in and waved. Koko positively beamed at the sight of Sumire, looking very catty because her hair looked a right mess, Mikan supposed, from her arrival into Erosis. They approached them and took seats beside them as they chatted while waiting for their turn.

"Where did you guys end up in?" asked Ruka as he took a seat beside Hayate.

"Near Glenrock dock," said Mikan. "Koko and I arrived at the same place. Well, technically, I got there first, then he landed on me." She threw the sandy-haired boy a sour look as he laughed. She turned back to look at Ruka again curiously. "Did all three of you end up in the same place?" Hayate shook his head.

"Ruka and I landed in a spot near the outskirts of the city," he said. "We met Shouda on the way here." He gestured at Sumire, who was trying to comb her hair with manicured fingernails, and sighed. "It's such a pity my beloved Cool Blue Sky didn't catch up with us!"

"Next!" called a monotone voice from the third cubicle. Mikan grinned.

"That's me!" she announced, jumping out of her chair and hopping from one foot to the other excitedly. She approached the cubicle with a bounce in her step and beamed at the person on the other side. The person on the other side was a woman with pink hair tied back, away from her face and an apathetic expression. She wore clothes similar to a nurse's and gave Mikan a smile that didn't reach her eyes. The brunette glanced at the other stalls and it seemed that this receptionist had look-alikes in each cubicle.

"Good morning, my name is Ellie. Thank you for coming to the Glenrock City Hall. Your purpose here is?" said the pink-haired receptionist, looking at Mikan blandly.

"Um. . . to get registered?" Mikan said doubtfully, but Ellie seemed to think this reason was perfectly normal.

"Please fill out this form." Ellie handed her a sheet of parchment, quill, and ink well from a slot in the glass. Mikan picked up the quill in wonder, dipping it in the ink well and scribbling on the parchment.

Name: Mikan Sakura

Age: 15

Date of Birth: January 1

Occupation (leave unanswered until sorting):

She passed the parchment, ink, and quill back through the slot and waited while Ellie copied it into a large account book. She nodded, "Everything seems to be in check. Please follow me." She stood up from her seat inside the cubicle and lead Mikan to another room at the back.

This new room was considerably smaller than the waiting hall. It had a stack of boxes on one side, while on the other stood a small table. On the table was a glass case, and inside the glass case was a compass, the one, Mikan supposed, would decide what type of employment she would receive. Ellie walked towards the table and entered a code into a security keypad fixed onto the side of the glass case. The glass case opened and she took out the compass, handing it to Mikan.

She took this curious contraption and studied it for a moment. It looked very old and ancient, with figures and characters instead of the regular north, south, east and west. Replacing south was a golden eagle, replacing the north a black skull and two cutlasses forming an 'x' (Mikan instantly knew what this stood for), replacing the east was a badger, and replacing the west was the same golden eagle, this time wearing a crown. A tiny silver arrow pointed in the gap between the skull and the badger, and Ellie told her to hold the strange compass in her hands.

She did, and watched as the tiny arrow began to move consistently. It switched from the golden eagle with the crown to the skull and cutlasses, back and forth, back and forth. Ellie frowned, took it from her and drew a pattern on the glass with her fingertip. She handed it back to Mikan, who watched as the arrow did not stop. Ellie's frown deepened and drew the same mark again. After a few more switching between the two, it finally rested on the skull and cutlasses. Mikan gasped silently. Did this mean what she thought it meant? Was she really a pirate?

Ellie nodded. "Miss Sakura, you are a pirate captain." No, she wasn't a pirate. She was a pirate captain. How dandy. Ellie reached for one of the boxes on the other side of the room and pulled out a small, brown canvas backpack and handed it to her. "Here are all your essential items to survive in this game. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask."

Ooh, Natsume was gonna tease her for this. . . She could already imagine what he would say in her head. _"A pirate captain? You? Ha, that compass must be complete crap. You're not brave and debonair enough to be a pirate, much less the captain of a ship. I bet you don't even know how to handle a sword."_ Imagining the sneer painted across his face, Mikan scowled. She swore she would become the best pirate captain she could be and get that treasure if it was the last thing she would do.

She smiled gratefully at Ellie and cradled her canvas bag in her hands. "Um, where is my ship and crew?" she asked. Ellie pushed another bag into her hands and told her to take something out of it. She put her hand into the bag, a bit anxious on what was inside. She grasped quickly of the first thing her fingers felt, and pulled it out. She gazed curiously at a tiny model of a ship in her palm.

Mikan didn't know much about ships, but she knew that this one was quite a beauty. It was sleek and made of sturdy wood. It appeared heavy, though was really very light. It was painted a dark bronze with beautiful sails that looked very nearly invisible, but were still there. The sails seemed to have a gold shimmer upon it and on the bow was a fierce-looking lion.

"That is your ship. You will have to name it," said Ellie. Mikan looked at it, and tried to think of a name that fit it perfectly.

"The Liberator," she decided at last, a winning smile on her face. Ellie nodded.

"The Liberator it is," she agreed. "Your crew will be joining you tomorrow or later today. You will be staying in an inn near the docks, because tomorrow will start as your life as a pirate. You will not be able to linger for very long, since the nobles will try to capture you. Today will be your day of preparation. Someone will teach you the ways of a pirate and how to handle a sword." Mikan nodded and Ellie showed her back to the waiting room. Sumire, Ruka, and Hayate sat waiting for her on the chairs while Koko entered the waiting room in the back with another one of the receptionists from the neighboring cubicle. He flashed her a thumbs-up as he disappeared into the small room. Mikan approached the other three with a huge smile on her face.

"What did you get?" asked Sumire suspiciously, eyeing the bag in her arms. "That _is_ free, right?" Mikan grinned.

"I don't have any cash on me right now, so this is definitely free." She sat down beside Ruka and opened her bag.

"Who did you become?" asked Ruka, looking nervous. He hoped desperately that she was someone that he could be too. It was plainly obvious how Ruka was infatuated with the brunette girl, but she still remained oblivious to his feelings. Mikan looked at him with a mischievous look in her eye.

"Peasant, duh," Sumire drawled, without bothering to look her in the eye. Mikan glared at her and stuck out her tongue. _My goodness, she's just like Natsume!_ she thought indignantly.

"Actually, I'm not a peasant," Mikan said haughtily. Sumire mumbled something under her breath that sounded very much like 'could have fooled me' and snickered. Mikan glared at her again and continued, "_I_ am a _pirate captain_." Sumire, Ruka, and Hayate stared at her in disbelief.

"Pirate captain. . .?" Ruka mumbled to himself, looking very shocked. There was no way he could be with her now. Sumire looked as if she couldn't decide on laughing at her or fainting right then and there. Hayate just looked pleasantly surprised. Mikan, satisfied upon seeing their reactions, dug into her bag.

She pulled out a heavy bag of golden coins which Ellie told her were 'Aries', the currency here in Erosis. It was meant to be start-off money before she could earn more herself. Sumire eyed this very greedily.

"Do we get one of those, too?" she asked. Mikan shrugged.

"Dunno. It may be different if you aren't a pirate." She pulled out again from her bag a golden telescope, a large map (the one in her guidebook only showed the lands and was small) that included all the islands and seas, pirate clothing, and food. She stared at her pirate clothes, which consisted of three white blouses, a red vest, two pairs of dark trousers, and a collection of undergarments. Ruka peered over her shoulder.

"Is that what you're supposed to wea—" as soon as he caught sight of her neatly folded underwear, he turned very red and turned away. Mikan giggled and stuffed her things inside her bag again.

"Next!" announced a receptionist as Koko walked out the door, a grey canvas bag in hand. Sumire stood up and sashayed her way to the cubicle, trying hard not to look nervous. Koko approached them and grinned.

"Who are you?" asked Mikan eagerly. Koko's grin grew wider as he winked at her.

"Aye, aye, Captain," he said. Mikan squealed and threw her arms around him.

"OhIcan'tbelieveit!You'reinmycrewaren'tyou?Aren'tyou?Ohmigosh!Ican'tbelieveit!Thisistooawesome!" Mikan bounced up and down on the balls of her feet, still embracing Koko. Ruka watched all this with a sinking heart, knowing that there was no possible way he would get sorted into a pirate, much less the same crew Mikan was in. Koko laughed.

"Aw, and just when I was thinking I could finally get rid of you!" he teased. Mikan crossed her arms over her chest.

"What did you just say to your captain, Yome?" she said pretending to be angry. Koko lifted his hands in defeat.

"I'm sorry, Cap'n! Don't make me walk the plank!"

This playful banter continued most of the time they were waiting for the others. In this time, Mikan had shown the ship model to Koko.

With wide eyes, he emitted a low whistle. "Wow. She's a real beaut, ain't she, Cap'n?" Mikan smiled fondly at the ship and rubbed it's already gleaming exterior with her dress.

"Aye, she is," said Mikan proudly, very glad that she was so lucky as to have picked this ship from the lot. "She's called the Liberator." Koko whistled again.

"You got a good eye for naming things, Cap'n. The Liberator." He stared at the ship in adoration. "We'll be sailing the seven seas in style with this devil, we are."

At this moment, Hotaru and Natsume had entered the city hall looking very grumpy and cross. Mikan beamed when she saw Hotaru and ran over to glomp her as usual. "Hotaru!" she squealed happily and hugged her. Hotaru rolled her eyes and pushed her away.

"Get off, stupid." She sat down beside the rest of them and crossed her legs. Natsume smirked at Mikan and whispered in her ear.

"You're a peasant, aren't you?" he said, looking amused. Mikan glared at him and poked his chest.

"No, mister. I'm a pirate captain, thank you very much!" she snapped. The raven haired boy looked very disbelieving.

"You shouldn't lie about being a peasant, you know."

"I told you! I am not a peasant!"

By this time, Ruka, Sumire, and Hayate were finished with their sorting.

"I'm a noblewoman, I am," said Sumire proudly. "It's better than being a pirate because I get to wear beautiful gowns and be waited on by my servants." The rest of the time she was very snooty. Hayate was a rank gold peasant and Ruka was a nobleman—the king to be exact. To his dismay, he was teased constantly because of this.

"It's fits you perfectly, Ruka!" exclaimed Mikan as Ruka turned a brilliant shade of red. "Though I've gotta say, I did imagine you more of a princely type." At last, it was finally Hotaru's and Natsume's turn. They both came back from the room with very good poker faces. Hotaru, she was told, was a noblewoman like Sumire. Mikan was a bit disappointed at this, she had such high hopes that her Hotaru would be a pirate, too.

"What did you get?" Mikan asked Natsume. He mouthed a profanity at her and didn't answer. Mikan snickered. "Since you don't want to tell me, I can guess that you're a rank zero peasant!" Natsume's eyes flashed dangerously before he scoffed.

"Peasant? I think not. Since you're so desperate to know, I guess I'll have to tell you. I'm a pirate captain." Mikan hated how he looked so arrogant, like he was the king of the world.

"What's the name of your ship?" she asked suspiciously, so she could keep it in mind later, in case he tried to raid her ship.

"And why, oh contraire, should I tell you?" he said smoothly, before running his hand through his hair conceitedly. Mikan glared at him.

"I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours." She wasn't so sure she should be telling him her ship's name, but her curiosity was killing her! Natsume snorted.

"I'll hear about your ship sooner or later. I don't need to be making deals with you like this. Because I will kill you, whether you like it or not." Natsume smirked dashingly as Mikan began to see red. On the contrary, she thought, _she_ would be the one who was going to kill him.

"Kill me? _Kill_ me? Natsume Hyuuga—" She glared at him dangerously as she poked her finger into his chest forcefully. "_I_ will be the only one doing the killing here. You better watch your back starting tomorrow because I will personally hunt you down and tear you, _piece by piece_."

--

The second Mikan entered her room in the Mermaid's Medallion inn, she flopped down on her bed and stared idly at the ceiling. She'd done it. She'd just threatened Natsume Hyuuga—and it felt good. Well, partly. The other part of her wanted to scream out loud and break down, sobbing in fear. But what was done was done. Could she back out of her promise—well, threat, actually—and expect Natsume to forgive and forget? Not very likely.

And so, this is how Koko found her, staring at the ceiling looking like she just sold her soul to Satan, which was basically what she did, because deep down inside, she knew she couldn't kill Natsume Hyuuga. What in the world had possessed her to say that anyway? I'm so stupid, she moaned in her head despairingly.

"Hey," said Koko. Only she and Koko were staying in this inn, as they were the only two people in the same crew. The others were separated from them, in other inns—some near the dock for the pirates, some near the town for the peasants, and some near the castle for the nobles.

"Hi," she replied weakly, hands behind her head as she glanced at him once and resumed staring at the ceiling pitifully.

"Thinking twice about what you said to Natsume, huh?" said Koko sympathetically. Mikan grimaced. It was an amazing feat how he could still know what was on her mind even though his Alice was disabled. She sighed and turned over in her bed.

"Yes, and I'm regretting it very much," she said dryly. Koko sat down on the bed beside her.

"It's not so bad, you know," he tried encouraging her. "I mean, this guy who'll be training us in the ways of a pirate can teach you some cool kung-fu tricks and you'll be able to whip Natsume's ass!" This cheered the brunette up, at least somewhat.

But could she really do it? She knew she wasn't very strong or fast or, heck, even smart. But could she really become a decent pirate? A decent _captain_?

"Where is that guy anyway, Koko? When's he supposed to arrive?" she asked. Koko grinned. Suddenly, she felt a sharp whip of air blow past her and her reflexes immediately reacted. She twisted her head to one side and her hand automatically reached to capture the item in mid-flight. She looked down at what she had just caught. It was a knife, a very sharp one in fact.

A deep, rough voice emanated from the doorway. "Aye, there seems to be some hope for you yet."

--

"Don't twist so sharply, do it smoothly! SMOOTHLY, I said! Yeh look like yeh've got a stick thrust up yeh'r arse!" Dawson instructed. "And yeh'r form is too stiff, relax. Alert yeh'r senses, be aware." Mikan labored, she really did. She twisted and kicked and punched and fought and parried and clashed. She tried to do her best, but even she knew when to quit.

"I can't do it!" she breathed out between painful winces and cringes. Dawson's small, sharp blue eyes narrowed more so.

"CAN'T DO IT?" he bellowed, because for Dawson, there was no indoor voice. "Yeh can't bloody do it?! Then that means yeh don't have the guts to be a damn pirate captain! Yehr little female body can't well handle it, eh? I expected this, yeh were a weakling from the start." Dawson snorted. "Bloody can't do it." Mikan grit her teeth and tried again, tried harder.

"Aye! That's how it's done! Do it again, this time don't be so stiff, yeh sour puss! And that sword's there for a reason! Use it!" growled the old man as he parried her blows with his own sword. Richard Dawson might have been only a fifty-three year old man with wrinkles that seemed to add up to a hundred or more, but he was also an ass-kicking fifty-three year old man with wrinkles that seemed to add up to a hundred or more.

Mikan sweated heavily as she moved to dodge and block his sword's evasive tactics. It was like he was everywhere, left and then right and then. . . With a swift but powerful movement of his wrist, the sword Mikan had once been holding clattered to the ground. She was tired, sweaty, and really needed to take a bath. Dawson looked like he had just finished a session in a luxury spa.

"Yeh still need work," Dawson grunted. "That's it for today. We'll pick up where we left off tomorrow." He turned his back and made to hobble out the door, before turning round and blocking a surprise attack from Mikan.

"We're not done yet," she snapped breathlessly. A wide smile spread onto Dawson's face.

"We'll see abou' that."

A few hours later, Mikan sat down for supper looking exceptionally satisfied. Koko looked at her and grinned. "What's up with you? You look like you just won a million bucks." Mikan beamed back at him.

"What really happened was so much better. I finally managed to pull one over the old man!" she announced giddily. Koko's eyes grew large.

"You mean you really did it? Gosh, that's amazing! I thought you'd _never_ be able to do it!" he exclaimed. Mikan frowned dryly at him, then rolled her eyes.

"No time for chit chatting, lad—" said Dawson as he walked into the dining area, "—and lass," he added when he saw Mikan. "Eat to keep yeh'r strength up." He shoveled food into his mouth, trying to make a point. Mikan watched this spectacle for a few seconds before eating her own meal silently. Koko laughed and tried to imitate Dawson, spilling food all over the table.

"Now look what yeh did!" said Dawson angrily. "Yeh wasted all this 'ere good food!" He started at the food for a moment and sighed. Then he began eating again. Mikan was vaguely reminded of the quote 'the way to man's heart is through his stomach'. I guess that's true then, she thought amusedly at both Koko and her mentor.

Mikan was different now, there was no doubt about it. It was a miracle that she had changed so quickly—one moment she couldn't land a single punch and the next she could parry and attack so skillfully with a sword. She herself didn't understand it as well. But those movements just seemed so natural—twist, turn, thrust, parry, dip, slide, block. Now the prospect of defeating Natsume wasn't too impossible. Actually, she had a pretty good chance already. After all, all this training for hours on end wouldn't be for nothing.

"Pass the salt," said Koko through a mouthful of mashed potatoes. Mikan rolled her eyes and handed him the bowl of salt before standing up.

"You're done already?" Koko looked at her with wide, disbelieving eyes before stuffing a chicken leg in his mouth. Mikan blanched before nodding curtly and retreating to her room.

She bounded onto her bed and stared up at the ceiling again, a whirlwind of thoughts grazing her mind. She'd changed in this game, she knew it. How long had she been in here already? It felt like she'd lived here her whole life.

She mentally slapped herself. _Don't take this too seriously_, _Mikan,_ she told herself reprimandingly. _Don't get your head lost in the clouds. Reality is waiting for you out there; this is only the beginning.

* * *

_

_Wow, this is a pretty long chapter. Not as long as the first one maybe, but long nonetheless. I don't like this chapter very much; it's a bit too fast paced for my liking. Oh well. Don't expect an update very soon. School is massacring me _little_ by _little_ and sucking up all of my free time. Do me a favor and review please. And don't worry, you'll see how Natsume is doing in the next chapter. _

—_Maddie _


	3. Scheming

**Swashbuckle**

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Written by: _Madeleine Mason_

Disclaimer: _I do not own Gakuen Alice_.

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– _Chapter III _–

_Scheming_

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Glenrock Dock was silent and deserted.

The harbor, normally full of life and noise, was breathtakingly quiet; no more than a few lone fishermen who worked till afterhours in order to feed their families. The sky had turned a marvelous mix of orange and pink as the day lingered, a salty breeze of wind whipped people's faces comfortingly.

Natsume was content. The day's efforts had not been in vain. His instructor had taught him fairly well, which was an added bonus since he was in fact an assassin for the academy itself. He thought of this experience as an extensive training. Obviously competent in stealth and offensive tactics, though not exceptionally skillful in swordsmanship, he had trained the whole day, with relaxing breaks in between.

He overlooked the scenic view with a particularly satisfied feeling deep in his gut, all the while munching on a small loaf of bread smothered with butter. Finishing his evening snack, he wiped his hands on his dark trousers and jumped off the large boulder he had been perching on.

If he was even a little bit anxious about his new occupation tomorrow, there was no sign of it on his face. Natsume was just good like that—poker faces were his specialty. Hands in his pockets, he strolled casually along the seashore, pausing now and then for one thing or another. There was no other word to explain it—bored. Natsume Hyuuga was bored. There was training, he considered, but he didn't really feel like training right now. Going back to the inn wasn't a very good option either. It was a deserted place, practically empty other than the employees and the occasional visitor.

A glimmer in the sand caught his eye unsuspectingly and he squatted onto the sand to examine it. It was a rusty gold coin, half-buried in the sand that Natsume almost mistook it for a seashell. He dug in the sand and retrieved the coin, lifting it high in the air against the sunlight for a better look. It looked ancient, he noted, slightly impressed. The coin was cold and shining in the light, but it was of a currency he did not know of. Could it be pirate gold? he pondered curiously, and made a note to himself to look up on it later.

Natsume straightened up and began walking again, whilst making a show of throwing the coin into the air and catching it before it fell. And as he walked, he thought. He thought about his life, his friends, his missions. . .

Damn, he thought suddenly, missions! He had forgotten about them for the meantime, and now it just decidedly wants to pop up in his mind, reminding him that he had hell to pay when he got back. Natsume let out an angry chain of curses and kicked a pebble forcefully into the peaceful blue waters, causing a rippling effect on the surface. Persona would kill him. No, he corrected mentally, he would _massacre_ him. How could he have been so stupid as to let himself play some retarded game and forget about his bloody missions?! Unhappily, he thought of the possibility of going back to the City Hall and getting out of the game, then immediately discarded it. He wasn't a coward. And after all, he had promised to personally take care of the little idiot himself, didn't he? Persona would have to wait until he won the bloody game and eliminated his opponents, especially one pig-tailed brunette.

With a knowing smirk, he flipped the coin into the air and watched as the sunlight bounced off the surface, reflecting the light into the clear blue waters of the sea.

--

Mikan breathed in deeply at the sight of the ship—_her_ ship.

Koko, standing beside her, whooped in admiration. She couldn't help but silently agree with him.

"Marvelous," she whispered to herself breathlessly.

"Amazing," Koko chirped.

"Beautiful," she murmured faintly.

"Mind-blowing," said Koko.

"Oh God. . ." She felt she might just faint. Koko laughed appreciatingly and steadied her before she fell forward.

"Don't pass out now, Mikan," he said jokingly, "or your crew will label you as weak." This seemed to snap her out of her stupor.

"I'll make sure they _won't_," she growled fiercely, before playfully slapping him on the arm. He yelped and rubbed it jestingly.

"If this is the way you act with _me_, I'm terrified about what you'll do to your crew!" said Koko in horror, eyes widening. Mikan laughed.

"Oh, be scared. Be very scared."

The sun shone down rather harshly on their weather-beaten backs; Mikan fidgeted relentlessly and Koko bounced from one foot to the other. Glenrock Dock was bustling with life, contrary to its state in the late evenings. There wasn't enough space to breathe, let alone marvel at the ship that was the _Liberator_.

"When are they gong to get here?" asked Mikan impatiently. Koko shrugged. Dawson had left to meet the crew at a nearby pub, and left Mikan and Koko to await their arrival. Hopefully the crew wouldn't be scared out of their wits when they met the old man, thought Mikan idly. In truth, even she had been slightly intimidated when she first when Richard Dawson, though she would never admit it.

Koko stared at the girl with worried eyes. He knew she had changed in this game, changed more than she would ever realize. And it was only the beginning. Would she still remain the innocent, carefree girl everyone knew and loved? He doubted it, but could only hope that the change would be for the better.

"Oi!" a familiar voice barked. Mikan sighed in relief.

"Finally," she muttered, as Dawson barged his way through the crowd, a small group of bewildered looking people behind him. Mikan studied them skeptically—they didn't look very, well, like what she had expected a pirate crew to look like. In fact, they looked more like a bunch of teenagers (which was what they—including Mikan and Koko—were) than a group of swashbuckling scallywags who frequently yelled "Walk the plank!", commonly known as pirates. Koko blinked in surprise, after a brief relapse of the wards disabling his alice, he read her thoughts numbly. And the result of this was: Mikan should stop watching Pirates of the Caribbean.

The group tagging along behind Dawson came to a stop in front of the two pirates—one pirate captain, the other part of the crew as well—and the large ship, marveling at it in wonder. There were eight of them—five boys and three girls. And some of them seemed very familiar indeed.

"Mikan! Koko!" exclaimed one of the boys excitedly. They turned to look at him in surprise. It was Yuu Tobita, the shy, glasses-wearing class president whom everyone liked to take advantage of. Mikan beamed.

"Yuu!" Mikan bounded forward and hugged him. "When did you get here?" Yuu blushed abashedly and fixed the glasses that hung awkwardly on the crook if his nose.

"Well, we—by we, I mean Tsubasa, Misaki, Kitsunume, Anna, Nonoko, and I—entered the Dream Capsule a few hours after you guys, when you didn't meet up with us for lunch. We asked around and a passerby told us he had seen you walk into the ride. So we followed," Yuu finished, shrugging. "I got sorted here a while ago, along with Nonoko and Shizune Yamanouchi, you know—that High School Division student who was part of the Hana Princess and served Hī-sama? Surprisingly, she joined the game, too."

Koko emitted a low whistle—Mikan elbowed him in the stomach; she had been getting rather irritated with him whistling all the time.

"Hm. . ." Mikan thoughtfully rubbed her chin, not that this helped in any way, but she just liked feeling smart. "That's interesting. This game is pretty popular, after all. It's the star attraction of the Alice Theme Park, isn't it? Makes sense that other people from the academy would join. I just don't understand how or why Yamanouchi would want to go to a theme park, of all places. I never thought she was the type. . ."

"Indeed, I am not." Shizune Yamanouchi popped up out of nowhere behind the brunette. Mikan, instead of shrieking in surprise, jumped lightly, startled. "I was assigned to watch over the development of the amusement park. The higher-ups told me to. How I ended up in this absurd game, however, I do not know."

"Hey Mikan!" Nonoko Ogasawara, appearing right beside the other girl, held her arms out for a well-deserved hug. Mikan succumbed and embraced her and they began sharing news. During this reunion, one of the crew members eyed them in disgust.

A boy with smooth white-blond hair that hung lazily over his forehead and pointed, aristocratic features grunted. "So? Where's the captain? I wanna get on the damn ship today, if that's all right with you." Mikan whipped her head towards him so fast, she nearly snapped a bone. Her eyes flashed. Koko sighed and looked at the offender with an expression that said 'now look what you've done'. The boy looked bewildered.

Mikan smiled at him slyly, "The captain, you ask? Well, you're looking at her." The boy's frightened expression immediately faded away, replaced by a sneer.

"You?" he said in disbelief, his lips curling into an unpleasant smile. "Hah, seriously, who's the captain?" Mikan's sly smile lapsed into a thin line, her brown eyes darkening considerably. The boy didn't look at all phased by this change in her expression.

"What is your name?" Mikan asked in a frightfully evil tone. Koko gulped—that was new. The boy raised an eyebrow skeptically.

"Xavier. Xavier Watson," he drawled smoothly. "I assume you aren't an extra as well, eh?" Mikan nodded curtly and held out her hand.

"Oh, I'm not. I'm Mikan Sakura, by the way," she said, a smirk formed on her lips as Xavier took her hand albeit reluctantly and shook it before he hastily let go. Mikan did not let him. "Mikan Sakura, your new captain." And she twisted his arm so roughly, he cried out in pain before forcefully shoving her away. Mikan stepped aside but nevertheless let him go. Xavier stared at her with vengeful grey eyes, like the sky during a thunderstorm. Mikan smirked at him coldly before looking at the rest of the crew, who were standing shock-still.

"Well?" she prompted, "Aren't you going to get on the ship already? I don't exactly have all day." They scrambled onto the ship before sending her fearful glances. Mikan sighed. She'd have to train them, starting from square one. It was sort of hard for her to believe she had been just like them once. Koko thought the same way, but differently. Mikan used to be like them, he thought morosely, the good old times. Dawson looked pleased.

"Well," he said, trying to lighten the mood. "They sure got a pair o' legs on 'em, eh?"

Mikan smacked her hand against her forehead. This would be a very long voyage.

"These are the masts," explained Mikan to the crew, while Koko stood apart from them, munching on a dry piece of cracker. She pointed up to tall posts sticking up from the ship. "They hold the yards, gaffs, sails, shrouds, and ropes. There are different types of sails, the topsails—" she pointed to a square-shaped sail highest on the ship—"the mainsails," large rectangular sails below the topsails—"and the jib sails," triangular sails at the front of the ship.

She climbed up one of the shrouds, a web like rope assembly climbed by sailors to reach the tops of sails, and waved them over to the crow's nest, a small structure in the upper part of the mainmast, which, she told them, was used as a lookout point. She climbed down the shrouds and told them about the yards, gaffs, and the bowsprit, which were poles that held up the topsails, the mainsails, and the bottom of the jibs, respectively. The Captain's Cabin was an aft compartment beneath the quarterdeck where the ship was steered. The hull was the basic body or frame of the ship, while the rudder was a wooden device at the rear that helped steer the boat. The Forecastle was the cabin in the bow of the ship where, they were told, their living quarters would be.

Their heads swimming with the new information they had just received, some of the crew separated to explore the beautiful ship, while others retreated to their cabins, hoping to get some rest till supper later that day. Mikan climbed onto the crow's nest, beaming at the salty sea and the wind caressing her face. Her sharp brown eyes searched her surroundings carefully, before pulling open her map and her handbook. She scanned the map, figured out her exact location, and decided to check for updates in her handbook.

What she saw in it clearly surprised her, and not in a good way at all:

**The Devil's Hangman**

_A name that sends shivers down the spine of nobles and peasants alike, this pirate ship captained by debonair and demonic Natsume Hyuuga is one of the most feared in all the seven seas. Having already raided a noble ship under the order of King Ruka Nogi, Hyuuga and his crew are labeled Public Enemy Number 1, all information and sightings of The Devil's Hangman are rewarded with the warranty of a thousand (1,000) pieces of Aries. The ship was rumored to be seen in the sea of Galleon, near Rundoon island, which is known for its impressive weaponry. _

Mikan swallowed thickly. They had raided and captured a noble ship already? That was quick. She had only been at sea for a week at the most, and so quickly he had invaded a ship! She irritably tucked a flyaway wisp of brown hair that had somehow escaped from the bunch of her unruly hair she had tied into a ponytail. According to the map, she was quite close to Rundoon island, having intended on stopping there as well to load up on weaponry. Now that the sighting of The Devil's Hangman near there was known to her, the possibility of coming and going unscathed would be unlikely. And it was far too late to turn around and change course.

She climbed down the crow's nest and approached the crew's quarters, where she found all of them in one of the rooms, chatting and laughing over their supper. In general, she figured she liked her crew, with the exception of one. Two of them were her friends, while one was her. . .er. . .accomplice. She surveyed the crew, laughing and eating, and smiled to herself. This was the way it should be. Their crew consisted of Nonoko, Yuu, Koko, Shizune Yamanouchi, Xavier Watson (she wasn't very happy with this one though), a pair of identical twins named Lucas and Jamie who loved a good prank, a russet-haired boy that went by the name Aiden, and a girl with black hair named Isla.

"Hey Cap'n!" shouted the twins from across the room. She flashed a smile at them and went to sit beside Koko, her co-captain. He grinned at her through a mouthful of fish and chips and shot her a thumbs up.

"Howsh it goin' cap'wn?" he said, smiling lopsidedly. She rolled her eyes.

"Not so great, in fact," Mikan said, grimacing. Koko quirked a concerned eyebrow.

"Wash—" He gulped down his food and chugged down a bit of water—"what's wrong?"

"Hyuuga, that's what's wrong." Mikan glared at the piece of chicken on her plate and stabbed at it with her fork, pretending that it was Natsume's face. "I mean, we were good and all. Not exactly friends, but not mortal enemies either. Now, though, I think there would be nothing better then to see his head on a silver platter." Mikan stabbed the chicken again—a piece of it smothered with sauce accidentally hit Koko square on the nose. "Sorry," she said apologetically as Koko wiped it off and threw her a glare.

"What's up with you and Natsume anyway? I knew he wasn't the kindest to you—hell, he isn't kind to anyone—but I always figured you didn't hate him this much."

Mikan shrugged halfheartedly. It was true, she and Natsume hadn't gotten off on the right foot, but people always suspected that their quarrelling was all because of unresolved sexual tension—which was not true AT ALL—and would make up sooner or later. But their rivalry had run far more deeper than that. Ever since they had met, she hated him with a vengeance. He seemed to go out of his way to infuriate her, and it was mutual for her as well. All that crap about 'accepting his rude persona for what he was' was a lie. She truly and sincerely despised Natsume Hyuuga. There had always been bad blood between them, in truth she hated him because, well, because.

"I hate him, he hates me. That's all there is to it," she said finally. "Nothing more and nothing less."

A small voice in the back of her head whispered to her, "_But_ _isn't there a thin line between hate and love?_" Later on, Mikan would regret ever ignoring this little voice.

Koko nodded and turned back to his food, belching out loudly as the twins snickered. Koko abruptly stuffed more of his meal into his mouth and chewed (it didn't look like chewing much to Mikan—more like swallowing). He wiped his mouth on his dirty sleeve and raised an inquiring eyebrow. "What's the problem, exactly?" After this questions, he promptly ate a bit of his fish and chips.

"Well," said Mikan grudgingly. "He's already raided a noble ship. And he's near our vicinity. We were supposed to get weapons from Rundoon, right? He's already been there, done that. He's still around this area and the possibility of him attacking us in high." Mikan played with her food unhappily while Koko choked on his fish and chips.

"Y-you're kidding me?!" he said disbelievingly. Mikan patted him on the back morosely.

"Sorry, bud. I had a hard time believing it, too." Her face creased into a frown. "We can't change course; it's too late. We'll have to train harder and hope for the best."

"Dear Lord," murmured Koko to himself faintly. "Let us all survive the wrath of Natsume Hyuuga. Amen."

Mikan had a particularly good feeling about today. Never mind that the sky was a dark grey and many of her crew mates warned her of an upcoming storm; that Aiden had drunk too much at dinner last night and was stumbling around the ship like a madman (she'd sort him out later); or that she had a feeling the twins were up to something devious. She just _knew_ today was going to be her lucky day. Trust your female intuition, she told herself. And she did.

"I swear, it's going to be a big one tonight!" Koko complained, looking out at the sea through his spyglass from the crow's nest. Mikan stared up at him irritably and shouted back.

"It'll clear up sooner or later, you just wait and see!" They did wait, but the cloudy dark sky did not clear up. In fact, it had started to rain; large, fat droplets pouring down on them hard. They hit her like fast bullets, drenching her clothes. Her boots felt wet and squished—it squeaked annoyingly when she walked across the wooden deck.

Mikan swore and pulled a rubber band from her pocket, tying up her loose, scraggly brown hair into a bun at the back of her head. She tightened the ropes and checked the sails. How could her female intuition have failed her so? She swore once more and tied a rope to one of the posts with a firm knot. Her hands were red and blistered from tying the stiff, rough ropes and climbing the masts to fix the sails.

Although her hair was tied back, a few loose strands fell into her face. She brushed them away impatiently and shouted commands to her crew. The entire crew was scrambling around the ship, hoping that the storm would pass soon. It did—but not soon at all. It took a good many hours till it died down. Mikan went to bed at around three in the morning.

She did not see the mysterious shadow at the distance, approaching them ever so stealthily.

--

Natsume stared at the ship a ways away through his brass spyglass and smirked. _Spot on_. He tucked his handy spyglass in his utility belt, satisfied, and strolled along the deck of his ship. He barked out orders to his obedient crew and folded his arms, surveying the scene. All in all, everything was in order. Last night's storm had been a nightmare, literally. He scowled at the damages the calamity had caused and how much it had cost to repair them. Five of their precious barrels of fresh water had capsized their boat unknowingly the night before and he had reprimanded Jordan, who was supposed to be keeping an eye on their stock of food and water, till the early morning.

Life was good (disregarding that little mix up with the barrels—_damn_ _that Jordan!_). He had recently raided a noble ship, which boosted his reputation tremendously. And it wasn't that hard to take over, as a matter of fact. Luckily for him, his crew was a strong one and it didn't take him very long to overtake the ship. They had taken the ship's raids and only took a few prisoners, leaving the rest chained to the ship to sail back to dear King Ruka—a little warning of what they were capable of.

A devious smile (more like sneer) made its way onto his face, his dark crimson eyes glinting something dangerous as he gazed back at the small speck hovering on the water like a tiny dot at sea. Target locked on. Time for the killing.

"Raise the sails!" he commanded a couple of his crew, who obeyed him instantly. _The Devil's Hangman_ began gathering speed, the aquamarine waves churning foam from the sides. Natsume breathed in the cool sea air peacefully; he never felt so at home than here out at sea.

He put his eye to the spyglass once more and stared at the ship at the distance, a smirk curling on his lips. This would be easy, he thought to himself. After all, it was captained by that wanker Mikan Sakura, wasn't it? He didn't know what that compass was thinking, putting her in the position of pirate captain. Natsume let out a snort. They'd probably be dead within a week. It would be a privilege for him to raid her ship first, of course. He surveyed the mass of the _Liberator_ and checked which direction the wind was blowing. Luck was on his side that day and he found that the wind's direction was to his fortune. Smirking, his hand lingered on the handle of the sword at his side, the pistol on his other. He doubted Mikan Sakura would be skilled in the art of swordsmanship; and, good Lord, there was no way she knew how to shoot an unmoving object at close distance. She was that bad, obviously, because she was a girl. Natsume wasn't a sexist (he knew Imai could kill him without a second thought) but she was just—_Mikan Sakura_. There was no way she could beat him. No way. It was impossible.

Natsume nodded to himself and called the entire crew to come up on the deck. They came up immediately and waited for his orders. He watched them with an amused look on his face. Strutting in front of the straight line like a military general, he said abruptly, "Cutlasses?"

The line took out their swords as one, in a synchronized motion. Natsume's stoic face did not show how pleased he was, but he was nevertheless.

"Pistols?" The men (unsurprisingly, there were no women in his crew) drew out their pistols and cocked it, like with the swords, in perfect harmonization.

"Daggers?" They took out their dirks, which were hidden under their clothes secretively, used as a last means of self-defense in case their cutlasses and pistols were lost to them.

Natsume nodded, satisfied. "Set the cannons; prepare the crossbows." The crew hustled to complete the tasks set to them, gathering the standard round shot cannonballs together and stringing the crossbows.

Natsume took one last look at the tiny black dot at the distance which was slowly getting more distinguished by the second. At last, it was close enough to be seen clearly, yet they were not too close as to be spotted.

Natsume turned to face his crew, a smirk on his face. "It's show time."

* * *

**Hello. **

**Sorry this chapter's so short. I was really lazy this time. I thought, 'hey! At least they've got ****_something_**** to read!'. So. . . yeah. This is it. Chapter three. Chapter four's coming along. . . sometime or another. Just be patient and wait. **

—_Maddie_


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